In the second segment of this three-part series, we will explore Pablo Fajardo’s legendary class-action lawsuit against Texaco/Chevron, and the methods and tactics used by the company to both escape justice and slander the plaintiffs and their government. For part one in the series, click here. The Battle Is Joined: Ecuador vs. Chevron On November…

There was a protest in my neighborhood yesterday. The president is in town, fundraising for the DNC. He’s staying at one of the city’s most expensive hotels in the heart of downtown San Jose, and the people gathered in the public square facing the hotel–La Plaza De Cesar Chavez –to demonstrate against the Keystone XL…

For part one in the series, click here and here. In the third segment of this three-part series, we will explore the current tensions between the Ecuadorian people; their president, Rafael Correa; and the international oil industry, as well as the future of the Yasuni-ITT initiative. A Jungle In Jeopardy: Rafael Correa & The Yasuni-ITT Initiative To…

It’s a truism of politics that the people, parties, or organizations you choose to support will inevitably do something to betray your trust. Regardless of partisan allegiances or mission statements, the intersection of money, opinion, and cause is always a messy one, fraught with missteps and gaffes and broken promises. However, knowing this does little…

Even the most stalwart of proponents of corporate benevolence are occasionally forced to concede that no major multinational corporation is above a certain level of malfeasance, especially when it comes to the petroleum industry. The global demand for oil is so high that companies will go to disturbing lengths to obtain it, committing all manner…